- Jeffries warns Democrats might not support FISA reauthorization if Patel remains atop FBI
Source: The Hill
“House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is warning that House Democrats might not back an extension of the government’s warrantless spy powers as long as FBI Director Kash Patel remains atop the agency. Jeffries has long portrayed Patel as a partisan conspiracy theorist who’s unfit to be the nation’s top cop. On Thursday, he escalated those criticisms by suggesting Democrats might be ready to leverage their support for an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to secure Patel’s removal. … The remarks create what is potentially another barrier in the effort to extend FISA’s spying powers, which expire on April 30. Already, many Democrats — joined by some Republicans — are vowing to oppose the legislation unless it’s amended to include stronger privacy protections for U.S. citizens.” (04/23/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5845476-jeffries-democrats-fisa-patel/
- DOJ watchdog launches probe into compliance with Epstein files law
Source: CBS News
“The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General said in a statement that it will ‘evaluate the DOJ’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the’ Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Trump signed into law last November. The bill required the Justice Department to release all files related to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of becoming law, a deadline the department failed to meet. … The rolling release and repeated publishing and unpublishing of documents left survivors and members of Congress alike calling for an independent review of the department’s handling of the files. The two lawmakers who led the push to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, have also pushed for an independent review.” (04/23/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-files-justice-department-inspector-general/
- Germany: Son of former Iranian shah whines at European regimes to give him a country
Source: Reuters
“The son of the former Shah appealed to Western countries to join the war against Iran and criticised the decision of the German government not to meet him during his visit to Berlin on Thursday. Reza Pahlavi, whose father was deposed in the revolution that brought Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to power in 1979, accused Europe of standing by and allowing the Tehran government to continue the bloody repression of protests that killed thousands at the end of last year. … Demonstrations by both supporters and opponents were held in central Berlin and a person was detained after Pahlavi, who made an appearance, was spattered with some form of red liquid. Pahlavi, who has spent most of his life in exile, emerged as [the US regime’s pick to lead a puppet regime] after anti-government protests erupted in Tehran and other Iranian cities last year.” (04/23/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/son-former-shah-iran-appeals-western-countries-support-2026-04-23/
- Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approve Paramount takeover
Source: CNN
“Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have cleared the way for CNN, HBO and Warner’s other media brands to join Paramount Skydance later this year. Shareholders ‘overwhelmingly’ voted in support of the takeover deal, WBD said after a pro forma special meeting took place on Thursday morning. The vote was anticlimactic, but still a crucial moment in the monthslong struggle for control of WBD, one of the biggest media companies in the world. Paramount, led by CEO David Ellison, now has to secure regulatory approval in the United States and other countries. But company executives are optimistic that they’ll be able to complete the deal in the third quarter of the year, meaning by the end of September.” (04/23/26)
https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/23/media/wbd-shareholders-approve-paramount-takeover
- Ukraine: Russian occupation court jails woman for buying Ukrainian war bonds
Source: US News & World Report
“A woman living in a Russian-controlled part of southern Ukraine has been found guilty of treason and sentenced to 14 years in prison for buying war bonds to support the Ukrainian military, the court that convicted her said on Thursday. The Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia District Court said the woman had used a Ukrainian mobile app to purchase bonds worth 270,080 roubles ($3,600), and had been caught by the FSB security service. It identified her only by the initial B, and said she was a Russian citizen. People living in parts of Ukraine that Russian forces have captured in more than four years of war have effectively been forced to take Russian citizenship if they want to retain access to healthcare, pensions and property rights.” (04/23/26)
- Turkey: Parliament passes bill to restrict social media access for under-15s
Source: ABC News
“Turkish lawmakers passed a bill late Wednesday that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, state media reported. The legislation is the latest in a global trend to protect young people from dangerous online activity. Its passage comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, in a gun attack. Police are investigating the online activity of the perpetrator, who also died, in a bid to uncover his motivation for the attack. The bill will force social media platforms to install age‑verification systems, provide parental control tools and require companies to rapidly respond to content deemed harmful, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.” (04/23/26)
- American Airlines cuts 2026 earnings projections after surge in jet fuel
Source: CNBC
“American Airlines on Thursday cut its 2026 earnings forecast, becoming the latest airline to lower its outlook after a surge in fuel costs added billions to expenses this year. American said it could post an adjusted per-share loss of 40 cents up to earnings of $1.10 a share, lower than the per-share earnings of $1.70 to $2.70 it forecast in January, though Wall Street analysts have been trimming their forecasts for the industry since the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran this year. Airlines have been either cutting their full-year forecasts or holding off on further guidance because of volatile prices for jet fuel since the war started. Fuel is generally their biggest expense after labor.” (04/23/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/american-airlines-aal-q1-2026-earnings.html
- Duterte to stand trial at ICC over deadly Philippines “war on drugs”
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte will face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his so-called ‘war on drugs.’ Pre-trial judges ‘unanimously confirmed all the charges … against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him to trial,’ the ICC said in a statement. Duterte will be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world’s worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.” (04/23/26)
- Senate Republicans clear go-it-alone path for ICE gang funding
Source: Politico
“Senate Republicans green-lit their party-line plan early Thursday morning to send tens of billions of dollars to immigration enforcement agencies in the coming years. Senators voted 50-48 to adopt a budget blueprint for legislation that could fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and other agencies for the remainder of President Donald Trump’s term. The vote was almost entirely on party lines, with GOP Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska the only lawmakers to break ranks. The vote just after 3:30 a.m. completed the first step in the GOP’s plan to approve roughly $70 billion in additional funding without help from Democrats, who have refused to fund the immigration agencies without a slate of new restrictions on how they operate.” (04/23/26)
- More green, more giggles, less crime
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“For Earth Day in 2026, the celebratory events held April 22 numbered well over 10,000 worldwide. From cleanups to teach-ins to tree planting, such activities help boost enthusiasm for caring about the environment. Ultimately, however, it is during the other days of the year that follow-through can bring those good intentions to fruition. Over decades of Earth Day celebrations, many individuals have found that a focus on environmental care in local communities can reap tangible civic and social benefits. A case in point is Philadelphia, where a long-standing project in urban greening has been linked to drops in crime. That success has led the neighboring city of Chester to trod the same path. Philadelphia’s story began with green-thumbed activists from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society seeking to recover good neighborliness, square foot by square foot.” (04/22/26)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0422/More-green-more-giggles-less-crime
- I was suspicious of the SPLC. I was right to be.
Source: USA Today
by Nicole Hurley“I’ve been suspicious of the Southern Poverty Law Center for some time. The SPLC, a nonprofit founded in 1971, was built to combat hate and discrimination. The mission sounds worthy enough. But then the group began publishing its annual ‘Year in Hate and Extremism’ report, identifying hundreds – sometimes more than 1,000 – ‘hate groups’ across the United States. In 2019, it labeled Alliance Defending Freedom, a prominent conservative legal organization, a ‘hate group.’ Calling a firm that focuses on First Amendment and religious liberty cases a hate group is like calling a defense attorney a criminal for representing the accused. For many conservatives, that was a bridge too far, and it eroded their trust in the SPLC. I thought I might have been onto something. It turns out the situation could be even more serious.” (04/23/26)
- American “Micro-Militarism”: Military Disasters and the End of Empire
Source: TomDispatch
by Alfred McCoy“Writing more than 2,000 years ago, the Greek historian Plutarch gave us an eloquent description of what modern historians now call ‘micro-militarism.’ When an imperial power like Athens then, or America now, is in decline, its leaders often react emotionally by mounting seemingly bold military strikes in hopes of regaining the imperial grandeur that’s slipping through their fingers. Instead of another of the great victories the empire won at its peak of power, however, such military misadventures only serve to accelerate the ongoing decline, erasing whatever aura of imperial majesty remains and revealing instead the moral rot deep inside the ruling elite. There is mounting historical evidence that America is indeed an empire in steep decline, while President Donald Trump’s war of choice against Iran is becoming the sort of micro-military disaster that helped destroy successive empires over the past 2,500 years …” (04/23/26)
- AI vs the Rent Seekers
Source: EconLog
by Max Molden“Mancur Olson’s The Rise and Decline of Nations doesn’t provide a particularly optimistic picture: once your nation has been stable for a while, and may even have risen to wealth, it becomes more and more vulnerable to ‘institutional sclerosis.’ This happens because small groups are better able to overcome free-riding, resulting in their ability to effectively skew the system towards their own interests. As more and more of these groups emerge, survive and are able to reap their rents—protected from that competition which makes for general progress and growth—the overall system deteriorates. If you take Olson’s work to its logical conclusion, a very effective cure for economic stagnation is a catastrophic war. That is obviously not a desirable solution. But Olson was pointing to a real issue: the longer a society remains stable, the more it gets choked by special interest groups.” (04/23/26)
- Why London’s Dockless E-Bikes are Causing Chaos
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mike Salem“As London heads toward local elections on May 7, voters will hear plenty about housing, crime and the cost of living. But on the streets, literally underfoot, a smaller, more visible issue is shaping perceptions of how well the city is run: the explosion of dockless e-bikes. What should have been a triumph of consumer choice and green innovation has instead become a daily frustration. Across the capital, rental bikes are left sprawled across pavements, obstructing pedestrians and provoking growing public irritation. For many, this looks like a failure of the market. In reality, it is the opposite.” (04/23/26)
https://fee.org/articles/why-londons-dockless-e-bikes-are-causing-chaos/
- Un-Redistricting Virginia
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob“A circuit court has ruled that Virginia’s new voter-passed congressional map, gerrymandered to give Democrats in the state a prohibitive advantage in the next congressional election, is unconstitutional.
Judge Jack Hurley, of the Circuit Court of the Commonwealth of Virginia for the 29th Judicial Circuit, Tazewell County, denied a motion to stay his injunction blocking certification of the election using the new districts. Former Virginia attorney general Ken Cuccinelli reports that once a final order is drafted and entered, ‘it will be immediately appealed.’ If the rejiggering survives the challenge, it could be the factor that tips the balance in the House of Representatives toward the Democrats next November.” (04/23/26)https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/04/23/un-redistricting-virginia/
- Iran ceasefire was just extended; real test for Washington starts now
Source: Fox News
by Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, (USA, ret.)“On Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he would extend the ceasefire with Iran — with no set deadline — until Tehran’s leaders can “come up with a unified proposal.” That announcement landed hours after Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Islamabad for a second round of peace talks was canceled without explanation, after Iranian officials told U.S. counterparts through Pakistani intermediaries that they would not appear at the table. Trump had said that very morning he did not want to extend. By Tuesday evening, he did. The extension may have been unavoidable. What happened in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday makes clear exactly what Washington bought.” (04/23/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/iran-ceasefire-extended-real-test-washington-starts
- No, Taxes Don’t Have a “Get Out of Jail Free” Card
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Joseph Solis-Mullen“While taxation is coercive, economically distortive, and ultimately something to be abolished, it does not follow that one may simply opt out of the existing legal regime. As much as one might wish otherwise, there does exist — at present — a binding legal obligation to report and pay income taxes under U.S. law. This article then is a response to a recent post on Twitter by Peter Schiff, who argued that, unlike excise taxes, the Internal Revenue Code contains no provision that creates a liability to pay the income tax, rendering it effectively ‘voluntary.’ This is not a new argument. It is, in fact, one of the more persistent claims advanced by so-called ‘tax protester’ theories. And like most such claims, it depends less on the structure of the law than on a selective reading of it.” (04/23/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/no-taxes-dont-have-a-get-out-of-jail-free-card
- A New Nobel Prize for War
Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow“With the Middle East in flames, President Donald Trump’s desperate lobbying campaign for the Nobel Peace Prize looks ever more bizarre. Of course, his claim to have ended and prevented numerous wars is more fantasy than reality. Worse, his surprise bombing of Iran amid negotiations, twice, demonstrated that his goal is anything but peace. Moreover, his proposal for a massive military buildup with no connection to American security suggests he is preparing even more reckless wars of choice. … However, it would be a shame to disappoint someone so desperate for public acclaim. It is time to create a Nobel War Prize, to denounce rather than praise the year’s most ostentatious warmonger or warmongers. Although 2026 is far from over, Trump would be a strong favorite this year.” (04/23/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/a-new-nobel-prize-for-war/
- The EU still has no guts when it comes to Israel
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Eldar Mamedov“Despite rampant human rights violations, European elites refuse to break pact giving Israelis access to business and over a billion euros through 2027.” (04/23/26)
- A Delusional Trump, Backed by Israel, Drives the Iran War
Source: Common Dreams
by Jamal Kanj“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the temporary ceasefire is the culmination of an American policy defined by strategic incoherence. At the center stands Donald Trump, whose shifting positions, confused war objectives, and conflicting actions have not only failed to ease regional tensions but have actively deepened them. Nowhere is this clearer than in Trump’s threats to blow up the whole country, including its bridges and power plants. At the same time, he touted a military ‘big day’, presenting potential war crimes as diplomatic tool, aggression as diplomacy, and destruction as leverage. Trump’s inflated, almost delusional, promises ahead of potential talks come across less as statesmanship and more as a calculated sales pitch to the American public.” (04/23/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/delusional-trump-iran-war
- Taxing Ownership
Source: Law & Liberty
by John O McGinnis“In an AI age, wealth taxes are not merely bad tax policy. They are downright dangerous.” (04/23/26)
- From Shakespeare to Smith: Why Credit Exists in Every Western Society
Source: The Daily Economy
by Iain Murray“Credit is not an artificial construct imposed by financiers or states. It arises because modern commercial life cannot function without it.” (04/23/26)
- Resist Beginnings: The Ancient Roman Maxim Behind the American Revolution
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin“America was built on a foundation that constitutional violations are a deadly disease. Give government an inch – and they’ll take a few thousand miles, and never stop. And before too long, it’ll get to a place where it’s no longer a Republic, but a long slow coup. Or, as the Declaration of Independence put it, eating ‘out our substance.’ Our rights. Our money. And everything in between. The solution? The ancient Roman principle behind the American Revolution.” (04/22/26)
- The left’s “Dignity Index”: A weak attempt to disarm Republicans, and disguise its own hate
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine“The latest effort to neuter conservatives and force Republicans to surrender comes from a deceptively titled device called ‘The Dignity Index.’ The ruse is fronted by Kennedy relative Tim Shriver, who appears on Fox News in the guise of a perfectly reasonable moderate Democrat, the type we all wish still existed. His pitch is for politicians to treat their opponents with respect, lower the temperature of public debate and restore civility to public life. Who could be against such laudable goals? But whom does the pitch not remind you of? President Trump, of course, with his bare-knuckled, smash-mouth, macho belligerence. Trump is the antithesis of the gentle tone Shriver is trying to elevate as the core virtue of leadership ahead of the midterms. But the dignity blather is just a fancy way of damning Trump for mean tweets.” (04/22/26)
- An Unseen Consequence of the U.S. War on Iran
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger“There are, of course, consequences of the U.S. war on Iran that are easy to see. The deaths and injuries of thousands of Iranians. The deaths and injuries of dozens of U.S. soldiers. The massive destruction of homes, businesses, ships, and infrastructure in Iran and nearby countries. Gasoline prices and the prices of other things soaring. All easy to see. But there are also unseen consequences of the war and, more generally, of the U.S. government’s overall foreign policy of interventionism.” (04/22/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/04/22/an-unseen-consequence-of-the-u-s-war-on-iran/
- So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“The fight for privacy and free speech in the surveillance age.” (04/23/26)
- The Libertarian Angle, 04/23/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Evil of Conscription.” (04/23/26)
- The Permanent Problem, episode 14
Source: Niskanen Center
“AI ‘psychology,’ with Jack Lindsey.” (04/23/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/ai-psychology-with-jack-lindsey/
- Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/23/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Stop The Fraud: The Government Hates Competition.” (04/23/26)
- The Fifth Column, episode 554
Source: The Fifth Column
“Tucker, Totenkopf, and the Fascist Question w/ Michelle Goldberg.” (04/23/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/tucker-totenkopf-and-the-fascist
- Underthrow Podcast, 04/23/26
Source: Underthrow
“We Are Living in an Invisible Debtor’s Prison.” (04/23/26)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/we-are-living-in-an-invisible-debtors
- Is the West in Civilisational Decline?
Source: Cobden Centre
by Max Rangeley“[Max Rangeley talks] through different theories of the rise and fall of civilisations, and the extent to which they apply to the West’s current predicament.” (04/23/26)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/04/speech-in-budapest-is-the-west-in-civilisational-decline/
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/22/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Iran’s IRGC Seizes Two Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Israel Kills Journalist in Lebanon, and More.” (04/22/26)